Just Trying to Do Right...

I heard about it again yesterday. Some bozo (that’s kinder than calling them an idiot) with nothing better to do than to venture on a seek and destroy mission into a guys’s life who has devoted himself to trying to be a faithful servant of the Lord. I hear it way to often. They don’t like his manner, his tone, his approach, his hours, his family, his style, that he is not as good as their favorite preacher, that he doesn’t measure who to what they think a minister should be - take your pick - you can probably add to the list. So they decided they would try to get him fired. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t, but regardless it hurts. It leaves him wounded and wondering, confused and conflicted. “Should I leave?” “Should I even be in ministry?” “Why can’t I be better?” “Why do I make people so upset?” “Why can’t I be as good as ___?”

That's awful! Some idiot (I know that’s a stronger word than I wished I had used, I wish I had thought to have changed it before I used it - wait - I’m writing this before I publish it, so I guess it is what I meant) who has nothing better to do than shoot at one of God's good guys. And the attrition rate is abysmal. And churches wonder why they have a hard time finding a preacher.

David would be so ashamed: “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord's anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the Lord's anointed” (1 Samuel 24:6).

One man trying to do God's Will, the other trying to catch him in some mistake, error, weakness. And, here’s the truth: They will. Because we are human and do make mistakes and mess up and sin. So if you make it your hobby to find a fault - you will.

But if that is your goal it sort of sounds like...”that they might catch him...” (Luke 11:54; 20:20; etc.) I hope you don’t want to be like the guys trying to entrap Jesus - but like Jesus, Matthew 12:20.

The preacher, cause he’s a good man, tried to make it right. The man who attacked him didn’t have to, and didn’t.

To the minister I want to encourage you to hang in there. To never forget that this makes you more equipped to identify with Jesus (1 Peter 3:8-18). We are not in this for the strokes or the glory set or by men, but for the Master and His 'cause. Consider - then move forward. You'll find much more peace there (John 15:20; Matthew 5:11-12).